edibleportland.com | 23 [Johan] can be this wild and crazy, is because of our vineyard foreman, Melchor Cabrera. He walks into a vineyard and grapes start growing. He’s the secret sauce.” Dan Rinke first hired Cabrera in 2008 and said, “I hired Melchor but Arturo was already there. I trained him and Arturo how to drive a tractor. When I hired Melchor, I don’t think he’d worked in vineyards at all. He started at the end of 2007, right at the end of harvest. One of the things that helps him and Arturo the most is that they went to work for another couple of vineyards and didn’t just stay at Johan the whole time. Melchor knows what to do. I got so comfortable with those guys that after the first couple years I didn’t need to tell them to do anything. They were just so on top of it, they had already done what I would have done.” Training and education are paramount at Johan, ensuring that every employee is wellversed in sustainable practices. The vineyard hosts workshops and training sessions throughout the year, bringing in experts and encouraging staff to learn about the latest in sustainable viticulture. The entire staff views the property as the teacher with the knowledge they are collectively learning together. There is a warmth and unstuffy nature about each person's expertise in their specific job that makes the whole place feel that much more alive. In addition to the technical skills required for vineyard maintenance, the staff at Johan Vineyards also emphasizes the importance of community. They work closely with local organizations, schools, and community groups to promote sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. This engagement enriches the local community and reflects the vineyard's commitment to being an integral part of the Willamette Valley landscape. Community and Conservation Johan Vineyards recognizes that sustainability extends beyond the vineyard itself; it involves fostering relationships with the surrounding community and the environment. The vineyard is actively involved in conservation efforts, participating in initiatives to preserve the natural habitats that surround their property. Wood says, "we have also had the Chemeketa Organic/ biodynamic class out for each of our Biodynamic processes in the last couple years, burying horns, adding preps to compost piles, just more continuing to include young folks in education." There is a patience required in growing a vineyard. Nothing happens in a single growing season, and new vines take many years to reach maturity. The same can be said for how people develop and how their stories are stitched together with their experiences. The team at Johan has a deep understanding of this and is collaboratively working on the story of the land around them, their community, and themselves. Much of the Willamette Valley has experienced significant changes due to shifting interest in Pinot Noir, economic hard- ships felt by the American wine market, and the decidedly modern problem of consumers always looking for the next cool thing. Johan Vineyards is one of those places that continues to be at the forefront of what is cool, and the team there is cultivating an environment of learning, growth, and passion that is palpable at the onset of any guest's arrival. In writing this story, I had the aspiration of writing a family tree like story about all of the clients that have or continue to purchase fruit from Johan Vineyards. While there is certainly a lot of history to be shared about them and how their use of fruit from this epic vineyard has shaped the perception of the Willamette Valley as a whole around the country, no story stood out to me nearly as much as that of the vineyard itself and the people who work with the land. I accumulated notes from over many hours of interviews with a number of winemakers, current staff, and people who have dedicated much of their professional lives to Johan Vineyards in one way or another. I knew it could be the beginning of something much larger, just like Johan Vineyards is to so many - even me. This property has transformed from the beginning as a deposited mound of various kinds of soil and stones many thousands of years ago to another global event reshaping the world. Certainly, Johan is the vineyard to watch in the Pacific Northwest.
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